Nigerians top list of asylum seekers in Ireland

Nigeria leads with the most number of nationals seeking asylum in Ireland, according to the country’s Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. 

Asylum is the protection a country offers to people fleeing persecution in their home country. An asylum seeker is someone who has applied for this protection and is waiting for a decision on whether they will be recognised as a refugee.

According to a report released in August, Ireland is experiencing a drop in asylum applications. The justice department said the country received 1,164 applications in July 2025, down from 1,735 in July 2024 — highlighting a notable slowdown in new claims.

Data showed that so far this year, through July, the total number of applications has dropped from 12,236 to 7,207 — a reduction of 42 percent.

The report stated that asylum applications between January and July 2025 totalled 7,207 — a 42 percent drop from 12,236 recorded in the same period last year.

The main countries of origin for 2025 are: Nigeria (1,083 applications), Pakistan (945), Somalia (933), Afghanistan (767) and Georgia (462).

“The number of applications pending in the IPO has been reducing since the end of September 2024, when it stood at 23,863. As of July this year, there were 18,323 applications pending,” the report reads.

“Compared to last year, there has been an increase in the number of applications where the IPO made a recommendation or otherwise closed off a case. In July 2025, 1,755 cases were closed off compared to 1,294 in July 2024.”

The justice department added that the figures, extracted on August 8, are operational and may be updated as cases are processed.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom is grappling with record-high asylum applications, with nearly 89,000 lodged in the year to June 2025 and a backlog of more than 224,000 cases awaiting decisions or appeals.